World

Seven-year-old girl to be Rio de Janeiro Carnival 'queen'

by mudricky | February 6, 2010 at 02:42 am

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Children's rights groups in Brazil have voiced concerns that a seven-year-old girl will take the role of 'queen' in the Rio de Janeiro Carnival.

The groups says this is traditionally a "sexy" role and not the place for a girl like Julia Lira.

To be queen of a Rio samba school is one of the most sought after roles in carnival but is more often associated with scantily-clad women, for whom a little plastic surgery is not uncommon, the BBC's Gary Duffy in Sao Paulo says.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

But Julia Lira's father said she would cope fine and that she was a natural at samba dancing but a judge is considering a ban on her role in the parade that will take place next week.

"We're not against kids participating in Carnival; it's part of Brazilian culture," the council's director, Carlos Nicodemos, told the Associated Press (AP) news agency.

"What we can't allow is putting a seven-year-old girl in a role that traditionally has a very sexual focus."

A family court in Rio is expected to rule this week on whether she can take the role. Carnival events will run from 13 to 16 February.

The girls father, Marco Lira said ""Any man who looks at a seven-year-old girl and feels any sort of excitement should go see a doctor,"

"She has the aptitude to be drum corps queen... she has a seriousness inside of her when she is on stage."